Dirigible headlight for automobiles



G. F. MESSER.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 23. I918.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

THE COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH v:

F/Weweh G. F. MESSER.

DIRIGHBLE HEIADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 23,1918.

1,312,560. Patented Aug. 12, 1919'.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANDURAPII co, WASHINGTON, u. c.

6.1-. MESSER.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES APPLICATION HLEDJULY'Z}. I918.

Patented Aug. 12,1919.

4SHEETSSHEEVT 3.

6. F. MESSERL DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBiLES.

APPLICATIONJILED JU LY.23I 1918.

Patented Au 12,1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

GEORGE F. MESSER, 0F ABERDEEN, WASHINGTON.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed July 23, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen F. Mnssnii, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aberdeen, in the county of Grays Harbor and State of Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirigible Headlights for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings;

This invention relates to a dirigible headlight for automobiles, and has for its object the production of simple and efficient automatic shifting means for automobile lights and the like, whereby the rays of light shed from the lamps will be thrown directly in the path of travel of the automobile.

Another object of the invention is the production of simple and eflicient means for steadying the lamp-turning mechanism, and holding the same against accidental swinging movement.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully' described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the forward end of an automobile, showing the lamp-turning mechanism supported thereon.

Fig. 2 is a front view, in elevation, of an automobile, showing the lamp mechanism carried thereby.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of an automobile, showing the lamp-turning mechanism mounted thereon.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lamp-turning mechanism, showing particularly the device for manually adjusting the lamps in a vertical plane.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional 6-6, Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, in side elevation, of one of the lamps and the manually adjusting mechanism therefor.

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation of one of the base support brackets for the lamps.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the bracket shown in Fig. 8, showing the spring in position for normally holding the lamp supported upon this bracket in a neutral position.

view taken on line Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919. Serial No. 246,342.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the bracket shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal, sectional View taken on line 11-l1, Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view 12-12, Fig. 3.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on line 1313, Fig. 12, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 14: is 1444., Fig.

Fig. 15 is a vertical, sectional view taken on line 15-15, ig.

Fig. 16 is a horizontal, sectional view taken on line 16 16, Fig. 5.

Fig. 17 is a sectional view taken on line 17-l7, Fig. 3.

Fig. 18 is a view rear face of the dial ally operating means ing the lamps, while Fig. 19 is a sectional view taken on line 19-19, of Fig. 4 of this bracket and its associated parts.

Fig. 20 is a perspective View of the angle connecting rod, clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the primary bell-crank lever of the manually adjusting device, shown in Fig. 1, while Fig. 22 is a vertical, sectional view taken on line 22-22, of Fig. 21 and looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view of the ballcarrying connecting link, Fig. 3

Fig. 241 is a sectional view taken'on line a e-2 1, Fig. 3.

Fig. 25 is a perspective View of the vertical angle link, shown in an assembled view with its cooperating parts in Fig. 5.

Fig. 26 is a horizontal, sectional view taken on line 26 26' of Fig. 5.

Fig. 27 is a View, in sideelevation, of the protecting cap and clip device (Fig. 1), while Fig. 28 is a top plan view of said device.

Fig. 29 is a plan view of the rod which connects the lamps of the manually adjusttaken on line a sectional view taken on line F in elevation, of the bracket of the manufor vertically adjustable device.

Fig. 30 is a fragmentary, perspective view ofthe manually adjustable device for the lamps, showing particularly the construction of said device in connection with one of the lamps.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, it will be seen that 1 designates the frame of an automobile, which is supported by the usual front wheels 2, and these wheels 2 are attached, at 3, to the front frame 4, upon which main frame 1 is supported in any suitable manner. It, of course, will be understood that suitable steering means may be employed for the purpose of shifting or turning the wheels in the desired direction.

Arms 5 are suitably attached to the wheels, at 3, and these arms 5 are pivotally connected to a transverse primary rod 6, Fig. 3. A clamping bracket 7 is placed upon the transverse rod 6, and the inner end 8 of the ball-carrying link 9 is threaded into the up per portion of bracket 7, and the ball 10 of link 9 is seated in sectional clamping bracket 11 (Fig. 12) of the sleeve 13. This sleeve 13 is provided with an elongated slot 14 (Fig. 5) in which slot 14 works pin 15 carried by the primary angle link 16, which link 16 has its upper end 17 positioned in the inner sleeve 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Near the upper end of primary angle link 16 is fixedly secured a horizontal pin 19, which pin 19 works in the elongated slot 20 of the inner sleeve 18. The inner sleeve 18 is mounted in the outer stationary sleeve 21, which sleeve21 is fixedly secured, at 22, to the side of the frame or chassis 1 of the automobile. In the upper end of the inner sleeve 18 is mounted the angle auxiliary link 23, which link 23 has a pin 24 extending therethrough, which pin 24 also extends through the inner sleeve 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 26, thereby anchoring'the angle link 23 within the sleeve 18 (Figs. 5 and 26).

A protecting cap device 25 is placed upon the upper end of stationary sleeve 21, and this cap is provided with a horizontal top 26, which top 26 covers the upper ends of sleeves 18 and 21, preventing rain to a certain extent from coming in contact with, or materially affecting the operation of the sleeves and connecting securely or detachably fastened upon the outer sleeve 21 through the medium of the parallel spring lips 27 through which the bolt and nut device 28 extends.

'A bifurcated portion 29 is formed upon the outer end of link 23, and in this bifurcated portion is positioned the inner end 30 of the horizontal intermediate sleeve 31, and the end 30 is secured in the bifurcated portion by means of the bolt 32. A vertical pin 33 carried by the rearwardly extending lug 34 of the bracket sleeve 35 works in the elongated slot 36 of sleeve 31.

I use two bracket sleeves v35 in constructing my mechanism, but it will only be necessary to specifically describe one, inasmuch as both are similarly constructed; sleeve 35 is provided, as stated hereinbefore, with a rearwardly extending lug 34 and a forwardly-extending lugs 37, and the forwardlyextending lugs 37 are connected by a horilink 23. The cap device is zontal bar 38, by the medium of the fastening means 39 extending through the lugs 37. The bar 38 (Fig. 17) is made up of two sections, and these sections are connected by connecting sleeve 39, which sleeve 39 is provided with set-screws 40, and set-screws 40 clamp the inner end of the sections of bar 38, as shown. I usually mount the license tag 41 upon bz r 38, through the medium of straps 42.

The bracket sleeves 35 are each mounted upon the vertical extension 43 of the basesupporting brackets 44, which vertical extension 43 is integral with the flat plate portion 45 of said base-supporting bracket 44. Near the upper end of the extension 43 of bracket 44 is an annular groove 46, in which groove 46 is positioned the inner ends of securing screws 47 and 48 that are mounted in the bracket or lamp-supporting sleeves 35 (Fig. 6). Each sleeve 35 is provided with supporting prongs 49, upon which prongs 49 at 50, is pivotally supported the lamp 51.

In the base portion 45 of each sleeve or base bracket 44 is a notch 52, in which is secured the lower end of spring 53, the upper end of the sleeve 53 being slidably mounted in the apertured lug 54, which lug 54 is fixedly secured to sleeve 35. The function of this spring 53 is to normally retain the lampcarrying bracket sleeve 35 in a neutral position, that is, the lamp should be retained in a position for projecting the rays of light directly forward, and this centering or neutral position of the lamp is accomplished through the medium of the vertical spring 53. The manually operated device for swinging lamps 51 in a vertical plane upon the forks or prongs 49 comprises a bracketplate 54 suitably spaced from the support 55 (which support 55 may be the dash of a motor vehicle or the like), as shown clearly in Fig. 19. The front of the bracket plate 54 is provided with a plurality of sockets 56 for receiving the inner round end 57 of the button or grip device 58, which grip device 58 is secured to the outer end of lever 59. The lever 59 is fixedly secured to the shaft 60, at the outer end thereof, and upon the inner end of shaft 66 is fixedly secured l nk 61, and to the outer end of link 61 is pivotally connected the vertical link 62. The lower end of link 62 is pivotally connected, at 63, to the lower end of bell-crank lever 64, which lever 64 is pivotally mounted, at 65, upon the frame 1. To the upper end of lever 64, at 66, is connected the horizontal link 67 link 67 being connected, at its forward end 68, to the lower end of the auxiliary bell-crank lever 69. Lever 69 is pivotally mounted, at 70, upon the frame or chassis 1, and to the outer end of lever 69, at 71, is pivotally connected the lower end of forward, vertical link 72; the link 7 2 beingconnected, at its upper end,

to depending lug 73 upon the auxiliary lamp-connecting rod 74:. The rod 74 is provided, at its ends, with outwardly-extending apertured cars 75 that are positioned on top of lamps 51 (Fig. 30). Each indicating arrow 7 6 is provided with a depending screw-portion, indicated by dotted lines 77, which screw-portion 77 is screwed through ear 7 5 and into plate 78 on each lamp 51.

The operation of the manually operating adjusting device for swinging the lamps in a vertical plane is asfollows:

The operator grasps the knob 58 of lever 59 swinging it upward. or downward upon the bracket 54:, causing the round extension 57 to ride into one or more of the sockets 56 until the desired angle of inclination of lamps 51 is secured, whether such inclination is downward or through the medium of links 62, 67 and 72 and levers (i-l and 69 being accomplished with considerable accuracy by continued practice, and it is to be understood that the function of the manually adjustable device is merely to swing the lamps 51 in a vertical plane upon the supporting prongs as of the sleeves 35.

The arrows 7 6 can be suitably colored or painted, so that they can be readily discerned in the daylight, but at night, they are not used, since the rays from the lamps 51 are what is discerned, as the rays can be pitched downwardly or upwardly at the will of the operator, and through the medium of the ball-carrying rod 9, primary angle link 16 and auxiliary angle link 23 and their associated parts, the lamp-supporting sleeves .35 will be automatically turned upon their supports for turning the lamps in the same direction as wheels 2 are turned, so that the rays of the lamps will follow the direction the car is taking.

By reason of the slotted structure of sleeves 13 and 31, the mechanism connected with the wheels and the lamps for turning the lamps in a horizontal plane upon their supports can be adjusted to a: nicety, taking up any slight deficiency in the connections or bearings, thereby making a very efficient and well assembled device, which will obviate all rattling or disagreeable sounds when the machine is in operation.

I wish it to be understood that I reserve the right to make such alterations, modifications, and changes as will be obvious to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates, and which alterations, modifications, andv changes shall fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with an automobile provided with front wheels, of a connecting link for said front wheels, a pair of bracket upward, this adjustment plates secured to said automobile, lampcarrying sleeves mounted upon said bracket plates, lamps on said sleeves, springs secured at one end of said plates and slidably connected to the sleeves for retaining the sleeves and lamp in a neutral position, and means connecting said lamps and wheel-connecting rod, whereby when the wheels are turned, the lamps will be turned likewise.

2. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with an automobile provided with front wheels, a connecting rod for said front wheels, a pair of sleeve-sup porting brackets carried by said automobile, each bracket provided with a base plate, a notch formed in said base plate, a spring seated in saidnotch, a lamp-carrying sleeve mounted upon each bracket, each sleeve being provided with a horizontal apertured lug, said spring positioned in the aperture of said lug and being adapted to slide within the lug, lamps carried by said lamp-carrying sleeves, and means connected to said sleeves and the connecting rod of the wheels, whereby when the wheels are turned, the lamps will be turned in the same direction.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with an automobile provided with wheels and with a lamp, of means provided with an open end sleeve connecting said wheels and lamp, whereby when the wheels are turned, the lamp will be turned accordingly, and a cap device mounted upon said sleeve and partly covering the open end thereof, said cap compris-' ing a body provided with spring lugs and a flat cap portion, and means carried by said spring lugs for clamping the device upon said sleeve.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with an automobile provided with front wheels and a pair of pivotally-mounted front lamps, a connecting rod for said front wheels, an auxiliary connecting rod for said front lamps, a sleeve fixedly secured near its lowest end to said automobile, means extending through said sleeve and connected to the connecting rod of the wheels and to said lamp for moving the lamps to cause the rays therefrom to be directed in the direction the automobile is driven, a cap device upon the upper end of said stationary sleeve and partly covering said upper end, said cap device comprising a body fitting around the sleeve and provided with two lugs, an integral flat cap portion upon said body, and fastening means extending through said lugs for securely clamping the cap device upon the sleeve.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with an automobile provided with front wheels, of brackets carried by said automobile, lamp-carrying sleeves mounted upon said brackets, means connecting the sleeves, one sleeve provided with a rearward extension, a connecting rod for said wheels, a detachable bracket carried by said connecting rod, a primary link threaded at its inner end into said bracket, said link provided at its outer end with a, ball, a sleeve provided with an elongated slot detachably mounted upon the ball, a primary angle link slidably mounted in said sleeve, said link provided with a pin working in the slot of said sleeve, an outer stationary sleeve secured at its lower end to said automobile, an inner sleeve mounted in said stationary sleeve, said inner sleeve provided with an elongated slot, said angle link provided with a pin working 11 said slot, an auxiliary angle link extending down into said inner sleeve at its upper end, means Copies of this patent may be obtained for connecting said auxiliary angle link to said inner sleeve, a detachable cap device secured over the upper ends of said stationary and inner sleeves and partly covering said angle primary link, an auxiliary horizontal sleeve provided with an elongated slot mounted upon the rearward extension of said lampcarrying sleeve, a pin on the rearward extension and extending into the elongated slot of the auxiliary horizontal sleeve, and detachable fastening means connecting the auxiliary horizontal sleeve to the auxiliary angle link, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

GEORGE F. MESSER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 

